Fate Alternate Moonlight
by TYPE-WRITER FTK
Summary: A Holy Grail War in a different setting and with a set of Servants familiar to some that I wondered how a War with those seven would play out. Hope you all enjoy this Holy Grail War set in Australia with a cast of Fate Grand Order Servants. (Rated T for lack of gore or explicit sexual content) -ON HIATUS, SEE PROFILE-
1. Chapter 1

Fate/Alternate Moonlight

 **Chapter 1 - Summoning:**

The Holy Grail War.

A ritual conceived in the 18th Century in order to reach the Akasha, better known as the Swirl of the Root, created and organised by three families of Magi: Einzbern, Tohsaka and Makiri.

However, there was an oversight in the entirety of the plan. The ritual consisted in the summoning of Seven Servants, each belonging to a different Class. The Servants would be summoned by anchoring down Spirits from the Throne of Heroes into spiritual vessels from the Greater Grail. After the seven fought to the Death, the massive amount of mana would be absorbed into a Lesser Grail, whose function was to overcome the Deterrent Force, puncturing through it, and reaching the Akasha. However, the Lesser Grail was magical by nature, meaning that only a spiritual body, in other words, a Servant, could actually use it. So, having all Seven Servants be absorbed by the Grail and use it was essentially impossible by human means. However, the Magi figured out that Six Servants was still a massive amount of Mana. Probably not enough to punch through the Deterrent Force, but enough to grant wishes.

Then, the Ritual became better known as 'Holy Grail War', as seven Servants and their Seven Masters would compete until only one Servant remained, using the Lesser Grail to grant wishes.

There were only a few things truly necessary: a Greater Grail, a Vessel for the Lesser Grail, and Seven Masters, in addition to an impartial overseer from the church.

This ritual would usually take place in Fuyuki, Japan. But this time around, it would take place in a different country.

The Greater Grail was a massive amalgamation of Magic Circuits present within the land, which was structured by the Tohsaka. But if there was an already natural 'Greater Grail', it could be used without any worries. And such a thing had been recently discovered in the country of Australia.

The vessel for the Grail could simply be a golden goblet, like it was in the first three Wars.

And the Seven Masters...

* * *

"I have arrived!" A teenage girl with emerald eyes and long, fluffy, brown hair tied up in a pony tail that reached the middle of her back, closed the door behind her before shouting the sentence to herself.

This was her new residence. It was a simple house at the very edge of the city, far from other buildings, and in the border of the desert.

For most, this would've been a very inconvenient place to live in, being far from the civilisation, even if still possessing water and electricity. But for a participant of the War, it was perfect. Isolated, but still with the necessary resources to live in.

The girl had rent it in anticipation for the war. Her family had some funds to spare, allowing her to do so. She had brought from her home country, Japan, three bags: one on each hand and a backpack. One held clothes, all ready to face the intense weather of the country, like the outfit she was wearing at the moment: white sleeveless top, blue shorts that didn't even reach her knees, sandals, and a cap over her head.

Her name was Kageyama Midori, and she dropped her bags onto the floor before removing her cap and slumping over the couch. Intercontinental flights were strangely tiring despite all she did was sitting in the plane.

The backpack had more personal objects: hairbrush, toothbrush, toothpaste, sunglasses, headphones, so on and so forth.

But her most important bag was the other one she carried in her hands. Midori turned her head back to see said bag and sighed. She wanted to rest, but had planned to do the ritual during the night. Preparations were necessary.

Midori stood up from the couch with weak legs, tired from the journey that was going from the airport to her house, even if she had the help from a taxi for most of the way.

The bag was opened, revealing its contents. Within many, MANY strange electronic devices, was a box with the same length as the bag. She took it out and opened it.

Reflected in Midori's green eyes was the image of a chipped, rusted sword, with half of the blade missing, supposedly lost in time.

It was a sword that was said to have once belonged to one of the greatest warriors in human history. It was a relic her family obtained a few generations ago. It was initially obtained as a fun item to possess by its historical value.

Midori had never thought she would use it as a Catalyst.

* * *

With cupped hands, a young woman prayed in the front row of the church. By her uniform, she was a priestess or nun. However, instead of praying for love and good sake, she was praying for strength and victory.

She opened her deep sapphire eyes the moment the door of the church was opened and shut shortly after.

"Ah, already here, Celeste?"

The praying girl stood up and turned to the resident priestess of the city's church. "Sorry for barging in, Maria. But the nervousness got to me." She excused, with genuine guilt on her face.

"Taking into account your situation, I completely understand." Maria, the tanned priestess with short, black hair and brownish gold eyes, assured there was no problem. "Did you settle into your room already?"

"Yes. I went ahead and placed all my belongings in their respective place." Celeste, the Italian red head, informed, before glancing to the box that had been resting next to her.

"Oh? Is that...?"

"Yes. My Catalyst."

"Where did you find it?"

"India, its place of origin. To be honest, I'm surprised it didn't travel around the world, like some catalysts. Though it took a while to track it down."

Maria was curious to see the summoning of a Heroic Spirit. "It's odd that a member of the church ended up participating in the War."

"But there's nothing that says I can't."

"Have the Command Seals been distributed?"

"Not as of now. At least, not for me-!?" Celeste flinched as she felt a pain on the back of her left hand.

* * *

A young man entered the hotel room he had just checked into. His eyes were like rubies shining in the darkness, a colour similar enough to the red of the tattoo-like imprint on his right hand.

An Irish man with pure black hair, his name was Flynn McBolg, who specialised in the usage of Runes. He had booked a hotel room, using concealing runes in order to make sure he wouldn't be tracked down by the other Masters during the War. Most Wars didn't last more than two weeks, but he booked it for three, not only as a buffer but also as a motivator to make sure he'd survive the war, even if not victorious.

He opened one of his suitcases, pulling out a small box with a black piece of clothing inside it, some sort of veil.

"I hope this works. The legend never said she died... But she's definitely a strong Heroic Spirit!"

* * *

The heat was something he was used to. After all, his home country was much hotter.

"Signature please." A delivery service employee was handing the future Master a rather large package. The boy with purple hair, tanned skin, and eyes that matched his hair colour, took the pen and signed for the package, scribbling the name 'Odion Khodir'. "That package is sealed tight. Got to admit, everybody at the post office is curious to know what's inside it. Especially since it came all the way from Japan."

"Sorry for the trouble." The boy chuckled, giving a smile to the delivery man. "Though I can't really tell you what's inside it. Sorry once again."

"It's fine. I shouldn't be looking into someone else's packages anyway. Have a nice day."

After the delivery man left, Odion closed the door and rushed to open the box. He had to make sure that it had arrived safe and sound. And luckily, it did. He sighed in relief as his amethyst eyes saw the horse saddle inside the box.

* * *

It wouldn't be much longer before the intercontinental flight from England to Australia. One of the passengers was the blonde girl with light blue eyes, a Magus Apprentice from the Mage's Association. Name, Melody Black. Her hair reached down her shoulders, with multiple curls. As per usual, she wore a women's dark blue suit, with a white undershirt.

She kept staring out the window, sitting on the first class seat she had bought, studying the notes she took in preparation for the Holy Grail, and next to them was the Catalyst: an old pocket watch with the glass of its face cracked.

She didn't know if it was a light reminder or an important thing to say to herself for complete resolution.

"...I'm not going to lose."

* * *

"You guarantee that this Catalyst will summon a strong Heroic Spirit?"

A Japanese woman with pure white hair and orange eyes, asked over the phone in her workshop, staring at the rusted pair of scissors.

"Hmh. Yes, I don't mind that it belongs to the Caster Class. In fact, I think it works best with my abilities. Not to mention, easier to control. But you really don't know what the identity is?"

The soft spoken Japanese Magus, Shiro Yuuki, sighed at the response. The one who had sold her the Catalyst had no idea to what Hero is belonged to, only that it originated from Germany.

But she didn't mind.

"Thank you, either way. Have a nice day." She wished before turning off her cellphone, and placed it on the table.

She stood up, stretching her body. She wore a short skirted white dress and a pair of dark blue jean shorts, fitting with the hot temperatures.

"Alright. Gotta prepare the summoning circle." She spoke to herself, taking one last glance to the shears before heading over to the necessary materials to set up a summoning circle.

* * *

"Come on, come on..."

There was little time. The pale girl with silver hair and hypnotic yellow eyes, clad in a black, skin tight, full-body motorcycle suit was in the middle of smuggling blood packets from a hospital. She placed as many of them as she could inside a backpack, and after doing so, she made sure the hallway outside the room was clear, and rushed out of it. Of course, she slowed down upon crossing the main lobby.

Luck must have been on her side, since none of the workers noticed her, probably due to being a busy day on the work place.

With that, the woman fled the hospital right after she placed the motorcycle helmet on. The sunlight was strong, and to most, that wouldn't be a problem. But to her, it would be, as she was a Dead Apostle. Calling them vampires wouldn't be wrong either. Sunlight wouldn't outright kill her, but would speed up the degeneration process. If she had the right protection, she could move around. Even if that meant being completely covered from head to toe, and even then, wasn't the most efficient of methods.

Regardless, this woman wasn't a conventional Dead Apostle. Instead of being a human that was turned into one, either via Magecraft or because of another Dead Apostle or True Ancestor, this one was born as such. An experience that was supposed to result in a Homunculus with Dead Apostle properties. With the rapid growth, even though she was much younger than she looked, her development as a Dead Apostle was accelerated as well. And, of course, she needed to drink blood as well.

But the blood was not only for her. The Homunculus only known as 'Twenty-Eight', needed it for that night. And she made her way to the graveyard she had been using as a home.

* * *

About one o'clock in the morning. The Seven future Masters were ready to summon their Servants. Some had been previously selected by the Grail, others were yet to obtain their Command Seals. The preparations were ready.

In Midori's residence, the rusted sword was placed within a magic circle of metal wiring, carefully curled and coated with silver.

In the church, Celeste's magic circle was painted down on a large sheet with a mixture of warm blood and wine, with the string on a small pedestal in front of the circle.

In the hotel room, a magic circle drawn with a mixture of salt that had been previously drenched in wolf's blood, which could be easily cleaned afterwards. Behind it was the black veil.

In Odion's living room, an alchemist composition of rare metals constituted the circle, the horse saddle beside it.

Melody's summoning room was the empty, vacant house the Association had allowed her to use, the circle having been drawn with human blood provided to her. She didn't question how it was obtained.

Yuuki's workshop had a summoning circle drawn with animals bones, linked together with silver wires, and candles with blue flames in specific positions, the rusted, chipped pair of scissors right in the middle.

And the Dead Apostle had the clearing in the graveyard ready, using the blood she had stolen to draw the circle with chicken hearts spread out, placed on top of a gravestone behind the circle a piece of purple cloth, that appeared to belong to some sort of royal steed. The Servant she was going to summon would usually fit in the Rider Class, but she didn't want to lose. So she decided to opt for a different method.

* * *

Each one of the seven began the incantation, a stretched out hand towards the circle, using the prana of their bodies to complete the ritual.

 _"Soul of silver, body of blue, I shall become ye Master, ye shall be my Servant! Obey the Grail's call and fight under my domain!"_

The mana within the air focused on the circles, making the catalysts shine as sparks surrounded the area.

Each one added their own little verse to the incantation.

 _Become my sword!_

 _Swallow the world in your eyes!_

 _Reach success with your spear!_

 _Carry me to victory!_

 _Slay all of my opponents!_

 _Show me the true potential of your magic!_

 _Fall within the chains of madness that I shall control!_

The process was almost complete, the light growing and growing.

 _"Come to me! And together, we'll become the victors of the Holy Grail War!"_

Seven flashes of light in different points of the city.

The smoke and mist rose due to the summoning.

They all had different reactions. Midori had fallen back as a result, quickly sitting back up and wondering if it had worked, while Celeste was confident and on her feet, sure that it had been successful ritual.

The Seven Servants moved almost in unison.

A looming shadow of a dangerous beast.

The cackling laugh of a clown.

A cough to clear the throat in order to speak clearly.

A little hop of anticipation and a smirk.

The spin of a spear over the arm, with a look that showed surprise mixed with the thought that it couldn't be any other situation.

A stern set of eyes that appeared to fire thunder.

A strong hand that reached for the rusted sword and turned it into something else, a much stronger sword of red, blue and green, which was pointed towards Midori's face.

The Seven Servants all made the same question.

"Are you my Master?"


	2. Chapter 2

Fate/Alternate Moonlight

 **Chapter 2 - Saber, the King of Combat:**

The smoke cleared up shortly after the Servant asked said question, the tricoloured sword aimed at the Magus, who had fallen back from the surprise of the shockwave.

The Servant was someone to be admired when it came to appearance.

Her eyes were pure crimson, and white veil-like hair underneath her actual white veil. Her skin was mostly exposed, revealing a light tan and tattoos of combat. Her clothes were 'simple' and small. It was just enough to cover up her chest and groin, in addition to white sleeves and a choker, pieces of cloth hanging on the groin piece. Mainly white, with black within it, and blood red trimmings.

The Servant belonging to the Saber Class's face was rather serious, blank, empty of emotion.

"...Eh? Ah! Yes." Midori quickly stood back up and cleared her throat. She was surprised to find the Hero not as tall as she imagined, even if a woman. Regardless, Midori put on a stern face, attempting to show respect while at the same time demanding it. "I am the Magus Kageyama Midori, Master of Saber."

"Very well." The woman lowered her sword and struck it on the floor, one hand over the hilt and extending the other. "Let us make our best effort to win this Holy Grail War."

"Let's." Midori extended a hand and shook it. "Oh, I know this might come across as unprofessional, but I actually don't know your identity. Could you please tell me who you are?"

Saber raised an eyebrow, her face still rather blank. "Didn't you use my sword as a catalyst?"

"It was a relic a family member of mine possessed. He only said it belonged to a great warrior from the older times."

"I see. Then I'll tell you." The woman closed her eyes for a moment before locking gazes with Midori again. "My name is Attila, descendant of the Huns and the God of War's warrior. Saber Class Servant." After the presentation, however, Attila was somewhat taken aback by Midori's stunned state and face of shock. "...Is something the matter, Master?"

"A-Attila the Hun... was a woman?!"

Saber didn't know how else to react but to stare blankly at her Master's face. "...Is my gender concerning to you?"

"N-No, not at all." Midori composed herself from the situation. "Man or woman, I'm sure you're strong. I mean, you're Attila the Hun. But you were recorded as a man in history, which does raise a few questions." The girl let out a chuckle of awkwardness.

"I understand. Rest assure. As said before, my gender matters not to the result of the War. We will be victorious."

The emerald eyed girl found it rather amusing. "I see you're motivated."

"However, there are a few things I'd like to ask you."

"Oh. Sure, go right ahead. I have nothing to hide from you."

"An open book? That's good to know." Attila stepped away as Midori took a seat on the couch. "First, I'd like to know if you intend to fight other Masters or stay in the back row, away from danger."

"Oh, I'm fighting them." Midori proclaimed, hands on hips. "However, I'm not going to kill anyone."

"Hm?" Attila showed an amount of confusion towards this. "Why is that?"

"I have principles. I understand if you don't agree with this course of action, but I'm not willing to kill. Fight, injure, and even incapacitate are fair game. But I refuse to take someone's life away." Midori stood up and bowed to Saber apologetically. "Please forgive me and respect my decision."

"..." Attila gave some thought and nodded with shut eyes. "Very well. I understand I'm from a far more ruthless era."

With relief, she straightened her back. "Thank you." Midori smiled at her partner with gratitude. "I was afraid of what your reaction would be. I was given the advice to kill Masters since they could make a Contract with stray Servants, but I can't bring myself to kill someone. Even if my arsenal can be quite... lethal."

"That raises the question: how do you fight, Magus?"

"I'm not like most Magus. I use a secret weapon none of them can even begin to comprehend!"

Attila leaned back in surprise. What could this weapon be?

Midori pulled out a smartphone from her pocket. "Technology!"

"..." Attila didn't know how to react.

"Okay, let me explain: most Magi are traditionalists. Most of them don't understand, or rather, refuse to learn about things such as the internet and other pieces of technology. But my family became dissociates of the Magus Association a couple generations ago due to internal strife. But that meant that while I inherited my family's Magic Crest and learned Magecraft, I grew up with technology. Computers, cellphones, etc."

"I see. But how does that give you an advantage?"

"I've taught myself to mix Magecraft with electronic devices. This foreign world to Magi will give me a great advantage. After all, how do you fight what you don't understand?"

Midori showed pride in her knowledge. Saber was partly confused, but that was probably because she herself had years of experience when it came to fighting. A thing such as 'not understanding the enemy's weapon' didn't bother her. But she understood not everyone could be a hardened warrior. Admittedly, she found the concept rather interesting.

"That is quite useful, yes. And from the sounds of it, unique."

"Heheh." Midori blushed a bit, a finger sliding underneath her nose. "Well, whether or not it's something that will grant me such a big advantage, I have Saber, the strongest Servant Class, on my side. That is already more than enough."

"Yes." Saber nodded. "I guarantee that I won't lose."

"Alright. Now, as to keep the Holy Grail War a secret, we must shift to a nighttime schedule and sleep during the day."

"Such a thing is easy for me." Attila assured. Being in a Spiritual Body, sleep was no great necessity, at least if no battle had taken place before.

"Alright. But not tonight. I need to get a full night of rest if I'm going to participate in a War."

"You don't sound worried about your life being at stake." Attila noticed, though stoic as always before.

"It's fine. Even if I were to lose, I'm a droplet in the ocean. It's not like it'll make much of a difference if I die." While most would find this concerning, Saber agreed. Logic trumped emotions.

"Anything else you'd like to know?"

"I guess not much else is necessary."

"Alright! Tomorrow, I'll show you around the city. Even though we're far from it, most Masters will probably be in that area."

"It will be the main battlefield, by the looks of it."

"By the way, how did you transform that rusty old sword into... that?" Midori wondered.

"Ah. That bronze sword was a common weapon that was given to me. However, my weapon will always be the Sword of Mars. Whatever object I hold can turn into this ultimate weapon of combat."

"Really? That's really awesome!" Midori couldn't help but appear fascinated. "Well, I still have time before going to bed." She sat back down. "Attila, could you please tell me a little bit about yourself?" Midori finally noticed that the always stoic Attila showed a hint of dislike. "Hm? Oh! Don't worry, I'll refrain from calling you by your name and instead call you Saber."

"It wasn't that."

"Then what was it?"

"...I know this might sound odd, but I'm not fond of the name Attila."

"Really?"

"Yes. I won't force this upon yourself, but if you wish to address me by a name besides Saber, I'd rather it be either Etzel or Altera."

"Huh?" Midori actually understood the first option. Etzel was the German name for Attila, and probably either preferred the sound of or was more attached to it. But she didn't understand the second. "Why Altera?"

"..." Saber stayed motionless, almost as if a computer had crashed. Midori grew worried even waving a hand in front of the familiar's face, until the Servant finally responded. "It's rather hard to explain, believe it or not."

"I... see." Midori couldn't help but find it funny the idea that Saber spent all that silent time thinking of an answer, only to arrive at nothing. There was a slight urge for laughter.

"Now, a little about myself... I don't think or feel. I just fight and kill."

"...Like a machine?"

"That might be the right way of looking at it." Saber admitted. "In fact, whether or not you used a Catalyst, I wouldn't doubt we'd pair up together. A technology savvy and a killing machine. Fitting."

"You really think so?"

"Yes. As my Master, I will leave thinking and feeling to you. I will kill. Like a silent machine. Like an unthinking machine. For that is what I am."

"That's... quite a somber way to look at oneself." Midori admitted awkwardly. "But for someone who said such a thing, you show name preference?" She couldn't help but poke at the contradiction Saber had made.

"..." Once again, simply silence.

"Heheheh." Midori laughed, as she reached for her bag and pulled out a headset. She quickly plugged it to her phone in order to listen to some music. "What's your wish for the Grail?"

"I am quite conflicted regarding that. As a killing machine of destruction, I wish to destroy the Grail. However, I have a wish of my own that I want to keep for myself. And you, Master?"

"Me? Nothing, really." She gave a wide grin. "I'll decide there on the spot. After all, I can change my mind until then."

She placed the headset Over her ears, but upon glancing at Attila, while stoic as ever, she appeared to have... curiosity? "Umm... Do you want to give it a listen?"

"I do not think or feel. You make that decision for yourself."

"..." Midori thought that her Servant would end up being hard to deal with precisely because she was so simple. "Then... here." She placed the black and pink headset over Saber's ears and played one of the songs she had in her phone.

It didn't take long for the Servant's eyes to widen, even if just slightly.

"This is... quite interesting. I never heard musical instruments quite like these. Even if I receive information regarding the current times, this is quite surprising."

"Do you like it?" Midori asked, but, just like before, Saber refrained to answer. However, it was given away when Attila didn't intend to give back the headset, which Midori admittedly found really cute. "Well, you can listen to it as long as you wish, Saber."

A simple nod of thankfulness, but Attila, or rather, Altera showed a hint of slight happiness. She probably didn't even notice it herself.


	3. Chapter 3

Fate/Alternate Moonlight

 **Chapter 3 – Archer, the Greatest Hero of the Mahabharata, and Lancer, Lady of the Land of Shadows:**

The smoke within the church was hard to get rid off

"Windows, windows…!" Maria rushed to open the windows of the building, in an attempt to shoo it away.

The summoned Servant finally opened his eyes. A tall man, with dark skin and dark brown hair. His eyes matched the hair colour. In contrast with his personal features, he wore a pure white formal garb with long sleeves, gloves, under-trousers, and shoes, the front of the jacket-like piece of clothing adorned with purple symbols. Attached to the belt around his waist was a box on either side of his hips that almost reached his ankles.

The man looked over at the assured priestess, Celeste, and made a simple question.

"Are you my Master?"

"Yes, Archer." She nodded. The Servant was surprised.

"For you to already know my Class, then…" He looked behind him, spotting the string of what was once his bow. "I see. I did not know such a Catalyst still existed for me." He turned back to his Master. "I take it you know my identity then."

"Yes. Your name is Arjuna, central figure and greatest hero of the Hindu Epic ' _Mahabharata_ '. If I say so myself, you're one of the strongest, if not the strongest Heroic Spirit of Hindu origin."

Arjuna closed his eyes in thought, quickly reflecting over what his Master had just said. "Hmm… When it comes to you and I, surely you recognize my greatness. Yet, that is irrelevant. You are my Master. I regard that fact highly." He admitted, reopening his eyes and maintaining a straight, serious face. "Please utilize me to my fullest."

Celeste responded with a nod. "My name is Celeste. Nice to meet you." She offered a hand to the man. He frowned at first but received an appropriate response. "Oh, it's costume to greet people in this fashion in many countries in the world. But if you'r not comfortable with it, I apologize."

"Everything's fine." Arjuna assured, extending his hand and shaking Celeste's. "I'm used to people bowing before me."

"I guess royalty does that to a person. Should I bow?"

"I wouldn't mind." The Servant admitted as they both withdrew their hands.

Celeste politely took a bow before the man, and called for him upon returning to her original state. "Archer, if you don't mind."

"Hm?"

"Could you tell me what's your wish for the Holy Grail?"

"My wish for the Holy Grail? I wish for eternal solitude… That's not a joke. I'm serious, you know." The Servant assured, in a tone that offered no doubt whatsoever.

It was an odd wish, to say the least. Celeste herself could only mutter a "Whoa...!" out of sheer surprise from its nature.

"And you, Master?"

"Eh?"

"What is your wish for the Grail?"

"Ah." Celeste cleared her throat. "I wish to unify all of this world's religions into one to bring peace."

Arjuna couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. "Oh? To the Catholic Faith, I presume?"

"Not really, if I'm to be completely honest." The girl let out a short laugh. "I wouldn't mind it at all though. But I intend to make the world a little easier to live in. Humans already argue over a lot of things, over a lot of ideologies. But if there was only one of one thing, there wouldn't be any fighting. Now, I don't think it's my business to interfere in political struggles and things of the sort. But taking into account that characters of Greek, Norse, and Hindu Mythology are real, I guess so are their religions. So… why fight to see which one is real when all of them are?"

Arjuna placed a hand over his chin. "I see… It is not to change a fact of the world, but rather to change the perception of it. And with such, a conflict that is real ceases."

"Correct." Celeste nodded in confirmation.

"Very well, Master. I shall fight by your side to make both of our wishes true."

The two partners crossed stern gazes again. Arjuna appeared to be a tense, serious person, but something about him appeared different to Celeste.

The two suddenly snapped out of their state when they heard the sound of a camera shutter, echoing through the room.

"Eh?"

"You two have good aesthetics together." Maria, the tanned nun, kept taking photos of the two. Arjuna remained rather oblivious, while Celeste grew angry.

"Maria!"

"Hey, I'm already in hot water for letting you stay here when I shouldn't. Accept the kindness from the bottom of my heart. But also accept the fact that I'll keep taking pictures of you two."

Celeste's face turned red with anger. "Why you…!"

* * *

The boy couldn't help but cough at the smoke. After he opened a window, he turned back to the woman that he had just summoned.

Dark purple hair, piercing crimson eyes. Her body was clad in dark clothing with many see-through portions.

She spoke with a strangely powerful voice despite its gentlenes. "Are you my Master?"

After a couple more coughs, he composed himself again "I-I am." He quickly cleared his throat. "Ahem. My name is Flynn. I summoned you to participate in the Holy Grail War."

Her response was mystifying. "This is rather unexpected. I never thought I would be in a situation like this."

"Eh?" The boy was confused. "But… you can be summoned. I used a Catalyst and everything. Why would this be surprising?"

The woman crossed her arms and sighed. "I hate to inform you of this, Master, if that's what I should call you, but I am not truly dead unlike other Heroic Spirits."

"Wait… what?!" Flynn grew more and more confused. "Then how is this possible?!"

"I understand the confusion." Lancer's voice was calm and rather serene. "I am Scathach. Lady of the Land of Shadows. However, if you know my legend, you'd see that there was never an instance where I died. In fact, at one point, I became immortal. But I'm still a candidate for the Throne of Heroes."

"But wait… how does that work then? Don't legends need to die before joining?"

"Yes… but the Throne of Heroes is a part of something bigger. Have you ever heard about the Counter Force?"

"Not exactly, no."

"To put it very simply, without any specific details, it is a defensive mechanism of the planet itself. And it summons 'Counter Guardians' in desperate situations. The difference between Heroic Spirits and Counter Guardians is that the former is summoned by the hopes of men, while the latter is summoned by the despair of men. I'm an odd existence within the Counter Force. If necessary, I can be summoned as either a Heroic Spirit or as a Counter Guardian. At some point, I decided to make a contract with Alaya in case I got bored."

Her response almost made him fall aside. "In case… you got bored?"

Still calm, her voice became more stern. "First, attempt to live past your normal lifespan. Then you can judge me as much as you'd like."

Flawless retort. No way to answer back. "I-I guess…"

"Since the Holy Grail War uses Heroic Spirits, if you have a Catalyst for me, I'm a perfectly viable Servant to be summoned."

Flynn scratched the back of his head before composing himself again. "Sorry, it's a lot to take in, Lancer. But I hope we can collaborate in this war. I'm a rune user. And my wish for the grail is to be ablt to study and use primordial runes. Do you have a wish, Lancer?"

"I do. But I'll keep it secret for now."

Scathach's remark left Flynn curious, but he decided not to pry about it. "If that's what you want, then sure. Well, we have quite some work ahead of us. Tomorrow, we'll scout the city."

"Very well." She looked around the room, assessing her location. "What is this place?"

The question caught him slightly off guard. "It's not a proper base, sorry. It's just a hotel room I was given for the month. The Wars usually last only two weeks or so, so I thought it would be more than enough time."

"Forward thinking." Scathach looked over and noticed something. "Master, there is only one bed."

"Uh? Yeah. I mean, Servants can turn into a spiritual form, right? There shouldn't be a problem."

"More or less."

"Eh?"

"Because of my status of 'not being dead', I actually cannot assume spirit form. I am bound to the body."

"…" Flynn suddenly blushed wildly. "W-W-W-What?!"

"I still do not require sleep, but resting is always favourable."

"Oh god, oh no…" Flynn feared the worse, while Scathach simply tilted her head to the side, confused by his reaction to the news. "…These are going to be two long weeks…" He muttered to himself, only to receive a shrug from Scathach.


	4. Chapter 4

Fate/Alternate Moonlight

 **Chapter 4 – Rider, Minamoto no Yoshitsune, and Assassin, the Monstrous Doctor:**

Within the smoke, Odion spotted the silhouette of the Servant he had just summoned.

"Are you my Master?"

After clearing his throat, Odion answered Rider. "Yes."

"Acknowledged."

Odion approached the Servant and stared in disbelief.

The Catalyst he had obtained was the saddle of the horse of a samurai general named 'Minamoto no Yoshitsune'. But in front of him stood a short, probably teenage girl with bright blue eyes and long dark hair. And on top of that, most of her body was exposed, with sleeves, pieces of cloth, panties, and a strange piece of clothing covering her breasts.

The boy blinked twice, making the girl raise an eyebrow. "Is something wrong?"

"You… Umm, excuse me, you're Minamoto no Yoshitsune?"

"Ah, yes. That's the name I had later in life. But as of now, in this age, I was known as Ushiwakamaru. Servants are summoned in their prime, so, do not worry about my appearance."

"Well, that's all fine and good, but… I didn't know you were a girl."

"Hm?" The soft-spoken girl appeared confused. "What do you mean? Didn't you select this Catalyst with the intentions of summoning me?"

"Well, yes, but…" Odion chuckled dryly. The mood became awkward...

* * *

Ushiwakamaru was curled up in a corner, an aura of depression surrounding her.

"My legend was passed down in history as if I were a man… But… I'm a girl…"

Odion didn't really know how to react. Though, he did want to comfort her. "D-Don't worry. It's not a big deal, is it?"

Rider turned her head, just enough to spot her Master by the corner of her eye, and hurled a saddened soft glare. "If you had achieved the status of a Legendary Hero but your gender was misinterpreted, how would you feel?"

"Eh? Well… I suppose…" Odion couldn't really say he wouldn't mind.

"Either way!" Ushiwakamaru rolled back and stood up with a hop, turning back to her Master with a spin of the heel. "Rider Class Servant, Ushiwakamaru. Pleasure to meet you, Master. I'll serve you as a samurai with my whole heart." She bowed forward, leaving Odion a bit taken aback by the sudden shift in her mood, but he bowed as well.

"I-I say the same. My name is Odion. I'm a Mage from the Atlas Association. My wish for the Grail is to impede the destruction of the world in the near future."

"Ah, a humble wish. It's nice to see kind-hearted people still exist." With a smile, she showed confidence. "Since you've shared your wish with me, it is only natural for me to share mine. I've already decided what I want to wish from the Holy Grail... To be happy with my brother... It would make Ushiwakamaru truly happy." She closed her eyes as if reminiscing in pleasant nostalgia.

Odion quickly nodded, smiling as well. While he had hoped for a tall, mighty samurai to appear and show great prowess for intimidation, the young samurai girl appeared to be a good option too.

"Let's get along."

"Yes. Ushi would like that very much."

Though he did find it weird how she sometimes referred to herself in the third person.

* * *

The mist from the ritual cleared soon enough and Melody found the man standing at the centre of the summoning circle.

A fancily dressed man in a white dress shirt, an olive-green vest, and a black and grey jacket draped across his shoulders. In addition, he wore a black and white handkerchief with a red jewel around his neck, and leather gloves over his hands.

His blond hair and green eyes showed his origins as a man who had lived in Britain.

"Are you my Master?"

After a cough, she nodded while answering. "Yes."

"Very well." With a soft smile, he presented himself after noticing the Catalyst. "Assassin Class Servant. Ready to serve in this War."

"Ah. Thank you. I'm ready to play a part as your Master." Melody wanted to make sure she had summoned the correct Servant. "You are…?"

"Ah. My name's Henry Jekyll. Edward Hyde's... Someone else." The man appeared to be disturbed regarding something. And Melody could tell what it was.

The Servant she had just summoned was the famed Doctor Henry Jekyll, the main character of the book 'The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde'. And probably what he was suppressing was the other personality, Edward Hyde.

"I thought he couldn't manifest without…"

"It's fine, though sometimes he yells far too loudly." Assassin composed himself and looked around. "Is this your base?"

"Yes. The Clocktower offered it to me for the duration of the war." The location was a large building, with furniture and necessities, such as food and functioning plumbing. It almost had a castle-like feel from its outwards appearance, despite being so close to the desert.

"Seems like a comfortable home." Assassin nodded. "Oh, I know this may sound inopportune, but by any chance, do you have a violin?"

"Eh? Umm…I think there's one around here, actually." Melody could swear she had seen one when inspecting the house. After a quick search, she returned, with the dusty instrument in hand. "Does this work?"

"Very much so." The man nodded, taking the musical instrument, starting by cleaning it and making sure everything was in order. "Ah, yes, Master?"

"Hm? What is it?"

"Do you have a wish for the Holy Grail?"

"Ah. Umm…" Melody looked up in thought. "To be completely honest, I don't have anything specific. I guess doing it for the prestige would be good enough, but my wish can change depending on what happens, right?"

"I see. A nice approach to the situation." Jekyll finished tuning the violin and decided to try playing it. The sound was odd at first, probably form old age and lack of use, but soon enough, the instrument began to produce a wonderful sound, played by the famous doctor. Melody wasn't aware he was proficient in the musical arts.

"Assassin?"

"Yes, Master?"

"What's your wish for the Grail?"

He kept on playing the instrument, even if his face had shifted to visible discomfort.

"The Holy Grail… If I had that, I… 'I'…!"

The melody of the violin increased in speed.


	5. Chapter 5

Fate/Alternate Moonlight

 **Chapter 5 – Caster, the Laughing Demon, and Berserker, the Greatest Rival of the Conqueror:**

The woman couldn't help but feel the irony upon laying her eyes on the Servant she had summoned. When he asked if she was his Master, her first impulse was to say no, but she was able to control this urge and answer positively. _'Yes... I'm your Master.'_

The Caster didn't waste any time in building a room suited for him through the Skill 'Territory Creation', which allowed him create a _Laboratory_ rather than a _Workshop_ or _Temple_ for a proper Magus.

The Servant didn't stop cackling, giggling and chuckling during his actions, grabbing the pair of rusted shears that were used to summon him and dipping them into a set of chemicals. Shortly after, he pulled them out, revealing the pair as if it was a brand new set.

"That's... impressive." Yuuki admitted, the feat being rather outstanding in its own right. Repairing the shears with Magecraft alone would take quite some time, but with just a set of chemicals and a drop of Mana, they were back to their original state in no time. The Servant was clearly well-versed in Alchemy.

"Appreciated, Master!" The Caster cackled again, turning to the woman with crossed arms. "Hmmmm? Master, is it just me, or do you not like me that much?"

Despite the consequences that the answer to that question could be, the man kept the smile glued to his face. Or rather, the _demon_ kept the smile glued to its face.

The summoned Servant possessed white skin, hypnotic blue and violet eyes, purple flowing hair, and an odd set of tight clothes resembling a jester, with a hat decorated with a clock and horns grown out of his head.

Yuuki had summoned none other than Mephistopheles, the fabled demon of the play ' _Faust_ ', where said demon made a deal with the titular character.

"I... I'm actually conflicted. Because your nature enters in conflict with my wish for the Grail."

"Oh? Is that so?" The Caster took a few steps forward. "What is your wish, Master? I'm quite curious. I swear I won't laugh! Hehehehe!"

Because of the weird tone of voice, it was hard to take him seriously. But she figured it was just his way of being, something he couldn't really avoid doing.

"...I'm wishing for the extermination of all Demon kind."

The man suddenly stopped from giggling, surprised. "...My, my. That's quite the wish!"

"Yes. You can see how I think it might create conflict between the two of us. I don't think exterminating their own species isn't something demons are fond o-"

"Brilliant!"

"E-Eh!?" Yuuki was taken aback by the reaction.

"Magnificent! It might even coincide with my very own wish!"

"H-Huh...?" Yuuki was utterly confused. "How?"

"Master, I'm not a demon of secrets, but I'll keep that one for myself."

"...Alright." Yuuki didn't like the idea, but thought she didn't have much of a choice. "Want me to leave you alone for now?"

"Oh, no. I enjoy an audience while I'm working! Hehehehe!"

* * *

The looming shadow covered the wide eyed girl. She expected the Servant she summoned to be tall, due to the Berserker Class and identity, but not THAT tall.

The monstrosity measured 345 cm in height, breaking the record for tallest human being with no competition.

"You're... You're big!"

The man had black skin, unnaturally so, with white lines and symbols painted over portions of his body. Golden eyes and teeth, ornaments of gold and a purple skirt as the sole piece of clothing, as his torso was bare, exposing his muscles.

Strangely enough, he appeared to be calm despite the madness of induced by the Class Skill 'Mad Enhancement'.

"...Umm... Hello?" The Servant didn't respond to Twenty-Eight's greeting. "I... well... this is awkward." She giggled with the same feeling she spoke of. "Can you hear me?" This time around, he did respond, with a nod of the head. "Oh!" Twenty-Eight was pleased. At the very least, the Berserker was sentient. "So, umm... I know you are Darius III, but do you mind if I call you Berserker?" A shake of the head. "Perfect! And, umm... do you mind if we only act at night? I'm a Homunculus made based off Vampires, so I'm sensitive to daylight." The Berserker remained still, as if processing the information, and then nodded slowly. "Phew! Alright. So, umm... what else, what else...?" She searched for another topic to talk about. "Oh! Do you have a wish? For the Holy Grail, I mean. I have one. Mine is to become a regular human."

"..." The Berserker remained still, motionless, until his jaw began to move in order to speak. "Is... Is... Iskandar...!"

"Iskandar? ... Oh!" Twenty-Eight realised what he meant. "You were Alexander the Great's rival in combat, weren't you?" Once again, a nod. "So... you want a rematch?" The same motion repeated. "Alright! I won't let you down, Berserker! I will fight alongside you." She smiled, showing her Servant slightly sharper fangs. "Now, how do I hide you...? As a Berserker, I doubt you can turn into Spirit Form."

The Berserker let out a low growl, but vanished before her eyes in a blue wave of Mana, now a spirit unable to interact with the world.

"R-Really!? Amazing!" Twenty-Eight became excited. "With your strength, we'll win this War in no time!"

Darius III still had a slow understanding of things. But it appeared he would get along with his Master with no troubles. She couldn't help but think she'd enjoy someone who spoke more, to have company during the cool nights and while she hid from the hot daylight, but Darius III, despite his Class, didn't seem like bad company. Maybe despite his lack of speech, he could at least listen.

The night of summoning was over.

The war had started.


	6. Chapter 6

Fate/Alternate Moonlight

 **Chapter 6 – Day 1:**

The bright and powerful sun showered the city with its heating rays. The temperatures kept rising and rising.

"Ahhh… Why did it have to be in Australia?" Midori, even though wearing a very light outfit, done on purpose to face the heat, the moment she arrived at the city, she was already sweating more than she'd wish. "A natural formation for the Grail couldn't be in a cooler place? Like Poland?" She turned around while waving a hand to cool off the damp skin of her neck. "Don't you think, Saber?"

Saber, as requested by Midori, did not dematerialize, but rather accompanied her in material form. Of course, her white, battle outfit would stand out far too much. Saber had worn a simple dress brought by Midori in her baggage, but Midori could tell it didn't suit her taste. So, they went to some stores in the shopping mall and gathered whatever seemed to fit her best. It wasn't the easiest of trials, since Saber insisted that she'd leave all the decisions to Midori, but at the same time, Midori could somehow tell when Saber preferred a piece of clothing or another. The always emotionless face would show the smallest of twinkles when laid eyes on something she'd like.

As such, after some intense searching, the two figured out an outfit for the Heroic Spirit: with her hair tied in a short-haired ponytail after removing her veil, a black hooded jacket over a white t-shirt with a colourful dot pattern and the words 'GOOD or BAD Civilization' on it, a jean skirt of the same colour as the jacket, hippie pink stocking up to the thighs with chestnut rose stars on them, and a pair of black boots that reached her knees. For accessories, a black string necklace with a white piece, and a pair of wireless headphones, lent by Midori herself.

"As a Servant, temperature doesn't bother me."

"Lucky!" The girl yelped in frustration, crossing her arms as the heat got to her.

The objective of the trip was to show Saber the city, which would become the battleground for the Holy Grail War, alongside the nearby desert.

However, Saber didn't understand something.

"Why did you insist for me to remain in material form?"

"Hm? I thought that was obvious." Saber remained still at Midori's remark, which was her way of questioning something. "It's boring to just walk around essentially alone, don't you think?"

"Ah. Companionship." Clearly familiar with the concept. However, she still found it a bit unnecessary, taking into account the risk of exposure to the potential opponents in the War. However, as she said, all decisions were left up to Midori.

Her Master gave Saber a look with narrow eyes, trying to figure out whether she liked the idea of bonding or not.

"…You're hard to read, you know?"

"It's crucial for when in the battlefield."

The two kept on walking by the edge of the city, without many people around. Saber's tanned skin actually helped her blend in with the crowd.

Midori kept wondering about Saber's lack of emotions but still visible personality. It was like a layer of hardened spirit keeping emotions from flourishing despite their want to. Like two personalities fighting one another.

Midori found it interesting, but it was an ill time to tackle the subject. Right now, it was more important to scout and analyse the city.

* * *

Celeste opened the door to the rooftop of the tallest building in the city, a skyscraper that would be the perfect location for her Servant.

Archer followed the woman of faith in a casual attire: a black jacket with its sleeves rolled up over a deep v neck, malva t-shirt, in addition to a pair of white trousers and simple shoes.

He was reluctant at first, but Celeste explained there was no need to assume spiritual form. Besides, a priestess walking alone through the streets seemed weirder than accompanied by someone, in her opinion at least.

Archer moved towards the edge of the building, the wind running through him as his eyes carefully observed the city layout.

"So? Does this place work?"

"I have a perfect view of every possible spot of the city. I believe that answers your question."

Celeste smirked, clenching the hand where her Command Seal was imprinted on: a red symbol in the shape of a flame, in three sections, each surrounding the previous one.

"Master, I'd like for you to tell me something."

"Hm?" Celeste was surprised for Archer to ask her something all of a sudden. He had remained mostly silent and to himself, so, bringing up a topic of conversation was a surprise.

Archer turned his head, looking at his Master over the shoulder. "This location isn't the traditional setting for a Holy Grail War, correct?"

"Yeah. It would usually take place in Fuyuki, Japan. But when people became aware that this location had a natural structure resembling the Greater Grail, Magi gathered for the War."

"If this isn't the traditional location, then where is the Minor Grail? Where can the Mana be gathered?"

"We used the traditional method of the Third Holy Grail War and used a cup as the container for the Mana. Granted, they changed from cups to Homunculus for a reason, but the Einzberns weren't keen on joining this War. As for WHERE the Minor Grail can manifest, there are three locations: the Holy Church, an area of the surrounding desert, north, and an open field on the outskirts of the city."

"Hm. Having a Master that's part of the Church is more advantageous than it first seemed."

"It would be more if I was the mediator of the War too. In this case, Maria has a Spirit Board that reveals to her the state of every Servant in the War."

"Being part of the Church seems to give us an advantage."

"Yes. To the point of knowing that the War has begun." Archer raised an eyebrow. "Maria received confirmation from the other six Masters that they are eligible to fight, all other Servants summoned."

"Ah. I see." He turned back to the city. "Are we attacking tonight?"

"Yes."

* * *

Flynn sat at a café's table, sipping on a strawberry milkshake, across from Lancer. To blend in, the Lady of Shadows took a modern outfit: a thin, long-sleeved purple shirt, knee-lengthened jeans, and a pair of high heels.

Lancer was taken aback when the café refused to serve her a stiff drink in the middle of the day, so she settled or a coffee.

"I guess times change." Flynn chuckled awkwardly.

"I was merely curious. I'm not a drinker per se, but it's always pleasant to drink alcohol from time to time."

"I guess." Flynn wasn't sure himself. "I've only really dabbled with beer. Ever since I focused on my studies, never had much of an opportunity to try anything else."

"A man of letters?"

"I am rune user for a reason." Flynn couldn't help but find Lancer's guess rather funny. Lancer remained stoic, as she had always been. "By the way, Lancer."

"What is it?"

"How different are Runes to Primordial Runes?"

"Hmm…" The Teacher of Heroes looked up in thought. She would see the sky if not for the parasol casting a shade on the two of them blocking its view. "It might not be as great a comparison, but it's similar to comparing Magecraft to True Magic."

"T-True Magic?!" Flynn would've spat out the milkshake if any of it was in his mouth.

"It isn't an accurate estimation. In fact, far from it. Primordial Runes are still a form of Magecraft, but it came from the Age of Gods, making it many times more powerful and invaluable than modern day Runes."

"W-Whoa… So you're as great a Caster as you are a Lancer."

"That's not inaccurate, no." Lancer crossed her arms. "But if you don't mind, Master."

"Hm?"

"What is our approach for tonight?"

"Light scouting." Lancer's raising of the eyebrows surprised Flynn, as the stern face finally bent in some way. "W-Well, there's no need to run into the fight carelessly. And some Masters are probably going to scout the area anyway. Let's first see what our opponents are capable of. Then we attack."

"A level-headed plan. I agree to it."

"Glad to know. I don't want to get you on your bad side, after all."

"The Command Seals protect you anyway." Lancer remarked nonchalantly, referencing the red, three-part symbol in the shape of a wolf's face with its jaw opened, making a shiver run Flynn's spine as she took a sip from her coffee. It was the same as someone casually informing 'I'm your prisoner anyway, so you can do anything you'd like'.

* * *

Odion walked around the borders of the city, followed by Rider. He insisted she'd wear something less revealing. And it was successful. Her samurai armour and pieces of cloth were replaced by a white hoody, silver-blue miniskirt, black stockings and, strangely enough, rain boots. She insisted on that footwear the moment she laid her sight on them.

"My Lord, I'm curious."

"About what, Rider?"

"You said you wanted to impede the destruction of the World in the near future. But how do you know that the world is in danger?"

"Oh, that." Rider leapt forward and turned, beginning to walk backwards with her hands behind her head, facing her Master. "The Atlas Institute main specialization, in very laymen and summarized terms, prediction."

"Oh. Something akin to future visions?"

"More like taking in current information and calculate its future results."

Rider couldn't help but smile. "I'm impressed. That's like foreseeing someone reaction before they summon a prank."

"I-In a way." Odion found it an odd comparison, but it was a nice way of explaining it. "During my research, with the help of some colleagues, we foresaw the end of the Earth. And it was alarmingly close."

"Is that so?" Rider was somewhat surprised by the news. She wasn't as alarmed as the common person, most likely because her life had already ended. She was an unnatural phenomenon that the Earth kept trying to erase. But even so, she commended Odion's selfless desire. "I can see you're an honourable Magus if that's the case. To wish for a solution so the world can keep on living."

"Well, it is where I live." Odion admitted, lightly scratching his cheek with the hand with the red symbol that resembled a three-leaf fan. "Even if I'm not doing it for the World, I am doing it for myself as well."

"I see. Not completely selfless, but with good intentions." Rider twirled over a single heel and joined Odion's side again. "I think we'll get along, my Lord."

"I sure hope so. But, umm… Why not call me Master?"

"Is there a problem with the way I address you, my Lord?"

"N-Not really, but…"

* * *

Melody pulled out a book from the library's shelf. "Here it is." The Magus returned to the desk and sat besides her Servant, Assassin, who did not need a change of clothes, since his natural outfit didn't stick out as much as, say, the armour of a knight.

"Schematics for the city." The Master informed, placing the book on the table and opening it, a few pages off her objective.

"Use a book instead of taking it a look ourselves?"

"Humans created maps for a reason, Assa-" Melody stopped herself. "Umm… I shouldn't call you by your Class."

"Ah. English speaking country. That would be rather inconvenient, yes." Assassin understood why she was reluctant. "Then call me Doctor."

Melody nodded, liking the given option. "Anyway. If we have a map, it saves time and energy. We'll simply use this to our advantage instead of walking around like two idiots."

"A smart Master. I'm not sure how lucky I am." Assassin chuckled, smiling in the process. The comment made the girl flinch and throw a light glare, which only amused the doctor even further.

"Watch your tongue, Doctor. I'm not afraid of using this." Melody pointed out, showing the red Command Seals on her hand, in the shape of a musical note, clearly divided into three sections.

Assassin shivered at their sight. "I-It won't be necessary."

"Good."

* * *

Yuuki exited the shop carrying a box with instruments and chemicals at the request of Caster. He followed his Master, carrying a large box, effortlessly.

The Laughing Demon had changed his strange clothes for tuxedo, and Yuuki used some make up to make his face appear more human. The dishevelled hair was a problem, but solved by tying it into a ponytail.

"So, Master, do you think I blended in just fine?"

"I'm surprised you managed to keep yourself from laughing and chuckling all the time."

"The treat of a Command Seal is more effective than one might think. Trust me."

Yuuki turned to a Servant with a cocky smirk. "I don't know if I should."

* * *

As the sun began to set, a truck driver climbed back to the front seat after finishing the long day of work.

"I'm sorry for this, Mister."

"Huh?" The moment the man turned around, an index finger was pressed against his forehead. His eyes turned white and his body went limp, falling unconscious and hitting the floor. Twenty-Eight flinched the moment the sound of a human clashing with the solid floor reached her ears.

"My apologies. I swear. My Servant is just too big." Suddenly, the humongous Berserker materialized besides her. "Alright, Berserker, climb into the back of the truck. Stay still and conserve as much energy as possible."

Without even nodding, the Berserker slowly turned around and marched to the open end of the truck, slipping inside once reaching it and Twenty-Eight hopping inside, into the driver's seat, and shut the back with a the push of a button, and turned the engine on, driving away as the night came to start the War.


	7. Chapter 7

Fate/Alternate Moonlight

 **Chapter 7 – Night 1:**

The bright moon illuminated the sleeping city, alongside the electric lights from the lampposts.

A pair patrolled the streets: the girl who was thankful about the cool temperatures after the sun hid, Midori, and the killing machine clad lightly in white, Saber.

"So far so good."

"Yes. No enemies detected."

"I have to admit, I'm not sure if this is good or bad news." Midori awkwardly chuckled, uncertain whether or not she was completely ready to face an enemy.

"Do not waver, Master. I placed my trust on you." Saber reminded, her grip tight around the hilt of her tri-coloured sword.

"I-I know, but still… Unlike you, I never really fought anyone before." Midori informed, letting out a sigh that reflected her anxiety. "It's natural to be a little nervous. Don't you think so, Saber?"

Midori never got a response out of Saber. "Hn!" Saber pulled her Master back and swung her arm hard at the projectile. The impact between her sword and the arrow created a fiery explosion projected from it, the shockwave not getting closed to the pulled back Midori, who almost tripped over.

A large cloud of smoke formed, which made the Spellcaster cough. "S-Saber?!"

"Master, stay away!"

Midori didn't hesitate. Once her composer returned, she ran out of the cloud of smoke.

But immediately stopped. She found herself facing a dressed in the uniform of the church, with deep blue sapphire eyes, holding three swords called 'Black Keys' in each hand, each singular blade held by the gaps between her fingers. With her right hand raised, three swords were pointing at Saber's Master.

"I deduce that is your Servant."

Midori was speechless. She knew a member of the Church would oversee the War, but it didn't cross her mind that a member could be part of the war itself as a Master.

Midori acted fast. Putting on a mean face, she reach to her satchel, one of her two bags where she carried equipment, the other being a pack ted around her waist.

After drawing out her hand, she aimed a toy gun. Celeste stared in disbelief at the sci-fi cartoon gun that seemed to come out from some sort of kid show, probably a Tokusatsu series. "Step back or I shoot!"

After blinking twice, Celeste burst out laughing. "HAHAHAHAHA! Are you actually serious?!" Her stomach hurt from so much laughter.

Midori grinned. Unknown to Celeste, hidden behind her hair, Midori had earbuds on. With a small surge of Mana, the ear buds turned on, exerting a noise cancelation mode.

"Don't judge a book by its cover." Midori pulled the trigger. The inside materials of the toy were replaced by her in order to make it act as a sort of Mystic Code. By employing just a bit of Mana of the surrounding air, the toy's lights flared up and the simple buzzing noise it was supposed to make was instead a sonic screech.

"Ah-?!" The church member, caught by surprise, accidentally dropped her six weapons when instinctively covering her ears. "AHHHH!"

As a hand kept holding the gun, a finger on the trigger, the other slipped to her waist back and pulled a small, disc-shaped device. It seemed to be made from a flat crystal and the ear piece of a headphone, along with some wireframe around it.

She let go of the trigger and hurled the device at the opponent after infusing some Mana into it. It stuck to the recomposing Celeste.

"Saber, I'm taking my fight another place! Keep fighting them off! But if you're pressured, retreat! We'll meet up at home in one hour! If you're not there by then, I'll summon you with a Command Seal!"

The Saber, deflecting projectile after projectile, manage to hear and agreed with all of her Master's orders, though with a note to add. "Acknowledged! But refrain from using the Command Seal!"

"Gotcha!"

Saber was facing a long street, with buildings on both sides, and few kilometres away stood a skyscraper. She could already tell the arrows were coming from there. And, most likely, she was facing an Archer Class Servant.

Midori dashed towards a perpendicular alley, leading her to another part of the city.

The moment Celeste recovered her footing, the device stuck to her clothing sent an electric shock through her body, making her fall to her knees in pain and numbness.

"G-Gh…!" Her ears still rung from the screech, unable to hear anything else, while the numbness made it hard to move her body. The pain was something she just had to put aside. "That brat…!" She focused for a moment, and used the Mana present in her Magic Circuit, her Od, in order to put her muscles back in action. The consequences would come later, but she couldn't risk losing Midori. She wasn't worried about Saber, since Archer didn't let the sword wielder turn around even for a second.

She quickly gathered her Black Keys back into her hands and stood up with shaking legs. Next up was healing her eardrums, quickly giving chase as well. If one didn't see her get electrocuted for a full second, they wouldn't even know she ad been, as she sprinted at top speeds. Thankfully having caught a glimpse of the fleeing Midori, she knew where to run to.

As the two Masters fled the scene, Saber kept blocking each of Archer's attacks, though she had to use all of her strength and speed in order to do so, as the barrage didn't seem to stop for more than one second at a time.

The Archer on the rooftop exhaled after firing an arrow and inhaled when readying the next arrow.

"I won't let you out of my sight, Saber." The string was let go and he exhaled. The dark-skinned warrior had a simple mission: defeat Saber. But he didn't expect her to be able to keep up with his attack output.

In the meantime, a pigeon flew a couple metres above, the Archer reflected in its hollow eyes.

* * *

Celeste exited the alley, finding Midori using a spell to unlock the door to an electronic store.

Midori took notice of her opponent's presence. "E-Eh?!" She flinched as the Church member dashed at her. Celeste had physical advantage, no doubt. Thinking quick, she reached for her satchel and pulled out a white cylinder. It was just the right size in terms of thickness for her hand to grasp it tightly with no problems.

She threw it at the Church Member, whose eyes were dead set on her.

Just as Celeste was about to slash it with her Black Keys, Midori cast the simplest of spells. Her readied hand in the shape of a gun, similar to that of a kid playing cops and robbers, conjured up a small flame in front of her fingers. "Bang!" She let out, as the wisp was fired like a bullet towards the spinning object.

Celeste's eyes widened as she figured out something was. Her arm, instead of swinging to attack, wrapped around her face to protect her.

The moment the flame and the cylinder made contact, a bright explosion occurred. It was essentially a homemade flashbang grenade. The burst pushed Celeste back a bit, using the Black Keys held by the hand o her unwrapped arm to dig into the floor and brake her in place. Luckily, she didn't go temporarily blind from it, having her eyes covered. One of her senses had already been attacked, she didn't need another one wounded.

Just as she composed herself again, Midori was already inside the store. "Huh. I have to give it to you. You're much smarter than you look." She said it more to herself, recognizing her opponent, despite the obvious lack of battle experience, was clearly more apt for the War than she appeared to be.

Midori didn't have time to lose. Her heartrate was unable to go down. Despite knowing her opponent was struggling, getting out alive was not a certainty. The sight of the Black Keys didn't help.

She stuck a set of small devices, also in the shape of disks, to specific points of the door, and then ran to the inside of the store. One second afterwards, the four discs ejected a wave of kinetic energy into the door, launching it out of its hinges and flying towards Celeste.

She rolled aside, reacting faster than Midori expected, and dashed into the store as well.

It was a small store, filled with electric devices. The darkness was no obstacle. Any Magus with proper training of the basics could apply Mana in their eyes to see better in the darkness.

Celeste raised her guard. Her opponent proved to be a trickster that compensated her lack of battle skills with rather unusual tactics. She couldn't take her lightly.

She paced carefully up the aisles of the relatively small store, her arms ready to attack whenever necessary.

BZZZZT!

"!" With a gasp, she turned around and hurled a black key to a radio that had turned on on its own. At least, apparently. She could already tell Midori had an affinity for devices.

"Hey."

Alarmed, Celeste turned back around, to where the voice came from. And then, bam. She was slammed on the head by a large, quadrangular plate of metal swung by Midori with both hands.

The surprise factor made Celeste step back as a trickle of blood began running down from her head down her face.

But, now angered, she retaliated. "You think this can stop me!?"

She swung out her hand with still three Black Keys in hand. But already anticipating the response, Midori took cover, using the same plate she had taken from an old washing machine that was on sale, holding it with a single arm like a shield by utilizing a spell to make her arm behave like a magnet, the three slashes didn't manage to strike the Spellcaster.

Both thought the same thing at the exact same time, though in slightly different fashions.

' _I should've stabbed! Why didn't I stab?!'_

' _Oh thank god she didn't stab through!'_

Midori grinned and moved her arm out of the way, her hand ready to launch another one of the discs she used to electrocute Celeste.

The moment the disc stuck, another shock of electricity spread through her body, making Celeste lose the senses on her muscles again. In quick succession, Midori slammed the plate outwards in a swing, bashing Celeste away and making her fall onto the foor backwards.

Making use of the opportunity, Midori cancels the spell on her arm and crouched down, reaching for an extension cable she had brought over in preparation and quickly wrapped a couple loops around Celests's ankles before grasping them tightly and applying heat to her hand, melding the blastic of the cable together and making it a binding.

"Hey!" Celeste yelled as she reached over to one of the dropped Black Keys, but the moment Midori stood back up, she drew the toy gun and pressed the trigger, the screech digging into Celeste's ears again and making her cover them out of sheer instinct.

Midori dashed down the aisle and reached the store's cash register. She figured the only reason because the alarm didn't sound despite the door being blown away would most likely be because it would trigger if the lock itself were forcibly opened or broken, neither of which happened since she used a spell to simply unlock it through magnetic forces. It was as if she had used the key to the store.

If that were the case, there was a possibility that the store's alarm could be triggered manually from underneath the store's counter. A quick peek revealed to her a red button. With a grinned, she pressed it, making the alarm of the store sound like a siren.

"Are you insane?! The War is supposed to be kept secret!"

"Hey, that's your problem, not mine the moment I walk out." Midori was about to jump over the counter, but remembered that it wouldn't make sense for a thief to come in and not steal anything. She opened the cash register and took the few bills that were inside. The store owner most likely took most of the money with him when exiting, leaving only a few bills and coins as a setup for change on the following day. The small bills and a handful of coins was more than enough to simulate a robbery. Though, Midori couldn't help but giggle awkwardly at the idea that in order to keep things realistic, she was, in fact, committing a robbery herself.

But she'd have the moral debates later. She jumped over the counter and dashed out of the store through the broken door, leaving Celeste trapped in there. She left Archer's Master no other choice than to rush and retreat from the store in a wounded state. She was essentially obligating Celeste to stop fighting for tonight.

Midori's adrenaline rush kept pumping through her body as she sprinted home. Pulling so many stunts that could've failed at any moment, only to have them all succeed, left her in a state of exhilaration mixed with relief and ever-present fear.

But despite that all, she still worried over her Servant.

"Saber…! Be safe..!"

* * *

Saber's battle against Archer was rather one sided. While the man in the distance was only able to scratch her with some arrows she wasn't able to block, but was able to barely dodge from.

But due to the distance, she was unable to reach him. Saber figured this would be a battle to test which one of the two would run out of Mana at their disposal first.

However, if an opportunity opened, she could turn the tables.

"…Hm?" Archer turned to the pigeon that had been flying in place for a while now. "…I see." Without the image even registering properly, Archer shot down the bird, something he had perceived as a Familiar, with an arrow.

On the other side of the link, Melody panicked at the sudden death of her Familiar, Assassin surprised by Archer's speed in changing targets.

He turned to Saber again, but flinched with a gasp by seeing her stance. No… she couldn't. "What is she…?"

She wasn't completely sure if it would reach him, but if she exerted enough force, it was possible. Gathering as much strength as she could, she swung her sword vertically and released a green wave that distorted the air around it.

"What?!" Archer panicked for a second. He took aim at the attack and launched a fiery arrow from his tall bow, but the arrow was thrown off its path and struck the floor some distance behind Saber, causing a large fiery explosion to occur. "No way!" Without a way to stop it, he crossed his arms in front of his body and the slash struck and blew him away like a powerful gust of wind, throwing him away from the building.

Arjuna didn't have any difficulty landing the ground below, but he figured Saber had already fled the scene. Attempting to chase her didn't seem like an idea that could give any results, as she was fast enough to constantly block his attacks and probably faster than him too.

"It seems I wasn't facing just any hero, was I?" A laughter of excitement couldn't help but escape his lips. "Kufufu... ahahahaha!"


	8. Chapter 8

Fate/Alternate Moonlight

 **Chapter 8 – Day 2:**

The sun rose many hours before Midori woke up.

She, just like many people, wasn't used to going through such a physical effort. The moment she returned home, where Attila had already arrived to and waited for her, she slumped over to her bed after locking the door, barely feeling her legs.

Leaving Celeste in a tight spot was enough to allow her to escape, but even then, the physical effort was beyond what she was capable of. Adrenaline did play a part.

"Oww… My legs…"

"Master." Saber materialized.

"Hey Saber…" Drowsy and numb from the waist down, Midori didn't even bother moving when greeting her Servant. "How did the fight against Archer go?"

"He kept pressuring me. If he hadn't paused for one second, he would've struck me down."

"Hm? He stopped for a moment? Why?"

"I do not know. It happened. It made me use an above average amount of mana, but I was able to attack him. I fled as you advised."

"Good thing you did… Did you manage to find out anything about Archer?"

"Due to the distance, I was not able to tell anything regarding Archer's appearance, not even their gender. However, the arrows that were fired possessed an element of fire. And to launch such powerful strikes, the bow itself must be a Noble Phantasm, not just an armament."

"Hmm…" Midori's mind kept fluctuating closer to unconsciousness, Saber's robotic voice made her more and more drowsy. "…Saber, lie down next to me."

"…Hm?" Attila tilted her head in slight confusion. But that confusion only lingered for a second. As she told Midori when they first met, Midori gave orders and Saber would obey.

Attila joined Midori in bed, both over the covers. Midori made her best to roll just enough so she'd stop being on her stomach and was now on her side. With a quick indication, Attila laid on her side as well.

Midori observed Attila's face carefully. Indifferent, unemotional, but something was hidden far beneath the eyes… She couldn't tell what though.

She couldn't recall the dream that showed Attila's past. But she knew she dreamt of something definitely… human.

Midori's hands raised up to Attila's face, each softly pressed against Saber's cheeks. Her skin was somewhat cold. And then… she pressed them together!

"…?" Attila's mouth resembled that of a fish. But she didn't react besides questioning her Master's actions internally.

"…You're weird."

"What do you mean?"

"…Saber, are you human?"

Silence. No answer. And eventually, Saber's Master fell back to sleep.

* * *

The member of the church stumbled into the living room. The Endowed Hero waited for her, sitting on the simple couch with his legs and arms crossed.

"Oww… my head."

"Yesterday's fight gave you trouble?" Arjuna's shut eyes and opened. To those unaware, it would look like he was glaring, but the glance was just that, a glance. Celeste did not fear him.

"Something like that…" Celeste made her way to an armchair, holding her head. "I swear my ears are still ringing."

"Ears?"

"Saber's Master was an odd one for sure. She didn't cast spells the same way Magus from the Clocktower do. She uses unorthodox tools. Not to mention, this is the first time I've seen a Magus so comfortable around technology. Most remain conservative, disregarding technology and keeping themselves to the old-fashioned way."

"An unpredictable one then?"

"Don't worry. She's a one trick pony. She may have caught me off guard, but I'm not falling for her tricks again." Celeste assured. "However, I want to remain here tonight. I may need some more specialized healing."

"If that is your wish, I'll oblige."

"Thank you." Celeste nodded, rather happily smirking. She was surprised to see Archer so understanding. "I'll have to ask Maria to take care of _that_. But anyway, Archer, how did your fight with Saber go?"

"Bold of you to assume that my opponent was a Saber simply because she wielded a sword." Arjuna was aware of Saber's appearance. Clairvoyance aside, Celeste had taken a closer look. The two being linked allowed them to share images, if only slightly. "What makes you think she wasn't a Rider? Or maybe a Berserker or Assassin? All of those Classes can be sword wielders."

"Archer, are you telling me that someone besides a Saber could survive your barrage of attacks?"

"Hmmm." Arjuna's lips curled up. "Indeed. I was already aware that Servant belonged to the Saber Class. I was judging your eye."

Celeste arched an eyebrow, but ended up snickering underneath her breath. "So? How did it go?"

"She was tricky to deal with. Saber's stats and skillset allowed her to stay on par with my attacks. A different approach might be necessary. She only escaped because I gave her a window of opportunity when shooting down a familiar that was observing me."

"A Familiar? Maybe it belonged to Saber's Master."

"Possible. But there's no real way to confirm the hypothesis."

"Well." Celeste stood up, almost falling over from dizziness. Arjuna wasn't worried. He knew his Master could hold her own. "I'm going to take care of my wounds. I must be a wreck internally. Feel free to roam around, Archer."

With a nod from her Servant, Celeste left the room.

* * *

As the sun hid once more, the Masters woke up to resume the Holy Grail War.

Melody could feel shivers when she attempted to exit her current residence.

"Something wrong, Master?"

"…" Melody took a deep breath and stepped forward. "No, Assassin. Let's go."

Admittedly, she was afraid of facing an enemy like Archer. But she wouldn't give up before giving it a shot.

She didn't come to run away right from the start.


	9. Chapter 9

Fate/Alternate Moonlight

 **Chapter 9 – Night 2:**

With the start of another night, Midori and Saber went off through the streets in order to do a patrol. But this time around, they had a secondary objective.

Once they made sure Archer wasn't on guard, they walked down the same road as the one of the night before. No enemy in sight.

"Phew." Midori sighed in relief, stepping into the road, alongside Saber. "Alright, we're safe."

"I do not understand your worry, Master. I've made sure you'd be protected from any opponent."

"Y-Yes, but unlike you, the moment I'm hit, I die." Midori clarified, justifying her fear for possibly facing an opponent.

Saber remained silent, a simple nod telling her Master that the information had been acknowledged, which made the girl with emerald eyes sigh.

"You're really weird, you know?"

"Hm?"

"Your reactions are weird. It's almost like you can't really feel much."

"I've already told you, Master: I am a killing machine. All of the commands will come from you."

A vein popped on Midori's forehead and she turned around to Saber. Once again, a blank face. It annoyed her. Not enough to leave a dent on the relationship, but enough to touch a nerve.

Midori's hands stretched out and pinched Saber's cheeks before stretching them outwards. "You're human, aren't you?!" Not even confusion… Midori gave up, letting go of Saber's cheeks and slumping down on the floor, sitting down and sighing.

"…Heh."

Midori's head looked up at Attila. She could swear she heard…!

"Heh. Heheheh…!" The killing machine had turned into a maiden for a moment alone, giggling at Midori's actions.

"S-Saber?!"

Almost with a gasp, Attila stopped, and returned to the fearless warrior that she was.

"Did you just…?"

"Ignore that, Master."

Midori jumped up back to her feet with enthusiasm and excitement. "You laughed! You laughed, didn't you?!"

"Master, ignore such matters. We have to make use of our time in the war." Saber kept walking forward, past the brunette girl in light clothes.

"You're human! You're totally human!"

Midori's eyes went from cheerful to terrified when a gust of wind run past her and the tri-coloured sword was over her shoulder, close to her neck.

"S-Saber?!" Midori didn't understand the action. Even if what she said was annoying or maybe even worse, was that enough to make Saber rebel? The emotionless face showed no hatred or distain, but that just made it more terrifying.

"Master. Do not move."

"Eh?"

Midori then noticed… Saber wasn't looking at her. But rather someone who was behind her. With a turn of the neck and the movement of the eyes, she saw the truth of what had transpired.

Saber's sword wasn't over her shoulder to strike her neck: it was blocking a knife whose tip was centimetres away from piercing her skin.

Midori didn't waste time: she crouched down, allowing Saber to see her opponent clearly and strike him away with a swing of her sword. Even though they were only connected through the tip of the knife, the opponent skidded away, with an arm slightly numb.

"W-Whoa!" The tall man braked his push and remained in place, allowing Midori to take a glance at him after hiding behind Saber.

A blond man with beautiful eyes underneath thin glasses, formal clothes, a vest, jacket, gloves, and the uncharacteristically large knife.

"I'm surprised you managed to see through me, Saber."

"Presence Concealment is broken once you ready an attack. I'd call attacking my Master a cowardly tactic, but assassinations have been some of the greatest shortcuts in wars throughout history. A perfectly valid tactic."

"Oh!" The man was smiling? "I'm glad I didn't lose your respect. I have the feeling that if you were some sort of knight bound by honour that you'd look down on me because of my Class."

"That does not change anything. You'll be split apart by my sword. An Assassin stands no chance towards a Saber-Class Servant."

He spoke in a chuckle. "Hm. You'd be surprised. Assassins are silent killers for a reason. I believe the great Gaius Julius Caesar, despite being a man of war and of the sword, fell due to being stabbed in the back."

Midori was confused. "Saber, why aren't you attacking."

"She's a careful one." Assassin answered instead, "She's not attacking me before she can perceive my Parametres."

"Huh?" Midori was taken aback. But that's when she noticed… Assassin didn't _look like_ a Servant. The atmosphere he gave off was completely different from Saber's.

"But she is somewhat correct. I'd lose against her rather easily. Therefore…!" Assassin bent his arm, suggesting her was going to throw his knife at Sabers neck.

The moment the weapon was hurled, surprising Saber due to the speed, the killing machine used her sword to deflect the projectile. The knife spun towards the sky and was brought down due to gravity. But instead of hitting the floor, it landed on the hand of the retreating Assassin's hand, caught by the grip. Both Midori and Saber were surprised at the man's speed. Before they knew it, he was out of sight.

"That was… Assassin." Midori remarked to herself. While she had already confronted Archer, this was the first time seeing another Servant up close. "Do you think he'll return?"

"Doubtful. He was probably ordered to slay you and retreat in case he was discovered. Even if he attempted to strike again, I'd be more aware of his presence."

"Good point." Midori felt the pressure alleviating with Saber's assurance on the matter.

The two proceeded towards the building where Archer stood at the top of the previous night.

* * *

" _To think I failed my first attempt… I'm an Assassin in name only though. I shouldn't feel disappointed. The fact I survived is a miracle in of itself."_

Assassin's thoughts rambled on as he dashed back to his Master's side. Melody, the blonde Magus with light blue eyes, waited for him by a park bench, having set up a small Bounded Field so she couldn't be perceived unless someone used some sort of fortification in their sight in order to break through the effects of the barrier. She didn't become invisible, but rather 'the brain of others did not care for her presence'. Therefore, there was a slight chance someone could've spotted her if they noticed something was out of place and focused Mana in their eyes to see through the Field.

Assassin arrived. While he was not an exception to the effects, he knew where she would be. "Master?"

"Right here." She got off the bench and exited the Field's effect. "So, how did it go?"

"I found Saber's Master. Unfortunately, Saber managed to stop me."

"Did you two fight?"

"No. I refrained from doing so to assure my survival."

"Glad that's the case." Melody spoke earnestly. "This strategy should work sooner or later."

"Perhaps." Assassin let out a sigh.

"Is something wrong?"

"Assassination attempts are neither my specialty nor my favourite approach. I'm glad you understand my refusal to use my Noble Phantasm, but I'm feelin rather gilty that because I'm not fighting at my best, I'm penalizing you."

"Y-You don't need to feel like that!" Melody assured, blushing a bright red. "We came up with this plan yesterday for a reason! If you really don't want to use your Noble Phantasm, I'm not gonna make you use it."

Assassin's lips turned upside down. "I'm glad, Master." Just then, Assassin stepped forward, his face shifting into seriousness, his knife ready to be used as he hid his Master behind him.

Melody didn't notice it until Assassin assumed a protective stance. Another Servant approached them.

A demonic clown. It was the best way to describe the _creature_ holding the pair of shears.

"Oh? Ohohohoho! Did I just spot a Servant without noticing?!" The clown laughed. Assassin's sudden reaction gave away that he was a Servant.

"What Servant is that…?!" Melody couldn't tell just what Class the enemy belonged to. Saber was off the table, since they had just crossed with her.

"Master stand back."

"Well well. Hostile, aren't you? Sorry, but I love to fight." Without warning, the clown leapt forward, swinging his scissors at Assassin as Melody jumped away.

He struggled to block Caster's hit but managed to shrug him away with a strong enough swing.

The clown leapt the moment his feet touched the ground, creating more distance between the two. "I smell something interesting."

* * *

Midori and Saber opened the door that led to the rooftop. Locks weren't a problem to Midori. They decided to inspect the rooftop to see if they could gather any clues about Archer. While patrolling was on the schedule, this was an objective just as important.

"Do you think we can gather something from here? Maybe a clue?"

Saber, however, did not respond. Not only did she feel no need to answer to a question she didn't have an answer to, but there was also something… in the air.

"…Master."

"Eh?"

"Don't move."

Midori turned around in confusion, finding Attila dashing towards her with great speed. Midori didn't even have enough to react at Saber scooping her up into her arms and leaping off to the ceiling of another building. Midori managed to take a glance at the building before it happed: on the corners of the top, hidden from sight, were the blades known as Black keys. With magic circles right above them, shrinking down in perfect unison. What they were pierced into, one couldn't tell.

The moment the circles vanished, an explosion erupted from the rooftop.

Saber landed safely and turned to see the red and yellow dancing around and the black soaring towards the skies. Midori was shaken and taken aback, but being saved by Saber gave her a strange feeling of hope: that even though she is in danger from dying in this War, that Saber isn't going to let that happen.

"Than-?" She was going to thank Saber, but upon turning to her, she noticed the mesmerized look in Saber's eyes. Almost as if the fire and smoke were nostalgic somehow.

Midori could swear Attila the Hun's eyes were watering, if even just slightly.

* * *

Assassin and Caster fought vigorously. While Assassin as frail, he was the one that could strike harder.

Caster, for whatever reason, wasn't casing spells or using items to gain any sort of advantage.

As the knife and sheers crossed paths, blocking their wielder from being hurt, Assassin began to wonder just where exactly Caster's Master. If Caster wasn't going to use spells, he should at least have his Master cover for him.

"Ohohohoh! Ehahaha!"

The clown's laughter gave a strange feeling of uneasiness to the Doctor. The pressure kept building up.

"…NOW!" Assassin's shriek, somehow, made Caster freeze. For just a second, but that was enough for Assassin to slash across his chest and draw blood.

"Ohh!" Caster leapt away, holding his wound.

"It seems you're not as strong as you are odd. Was your figure distorted?"

"S-Something along those lines, Assassin." The clown giggled like a little kid despite the pain. "But ohohohoh! I'm afraid to say that this battle is over! **Ticktock Bomb**!"

Assassin raised his knife again. "Is that your Noble Phantasm?" The name was vague, to say the least.

"Ahahaha! Hahahahagh!" he coughed gleefully. "I chocked, hahaha!" Assassin couldn't make heads or tails of Caster. "Lower your knife, Assassin! Drop it! Get rid of it! Anything!"

"Why should I?"

"Because…" The clown's smile would send shivers up anyone's spine. "…my Noble Phantasm is already inside your Master."

"…Eh?" Melody was stunned, unable to move when listening to what Caster had said. Assassin was just as surprised. After taking a concerned glance at his Master, he turned to Caster again.

"Y-Your Noble Phantasm is what?!"

"Inside your Master! Right now. They are!" The Clown looked like he had just won the lottery. "I could've put them inside you too, but that goes against the plans!"

Assassin aimed the knife again. "Remove them. Now!"

"Ah-ah-ah. You have no power here." Caster leapt up in the air, similar to a mad demon, and landed right in front of Melody. Before she could even step back, a hand grabbed her chin. "Listen, Master of Assassin. Cuz I will only say this once."

Even though, during the fight, she couldn't take him seriously, Caster was the most terrifying thing she had ever laid her eyes on. "You will use two of your Command Seals to boost the power of your Servant to make him win a battle against anyone esides Berserker. Once that is done, use the last Command Seal to order him to commit suicide. If that's not done in three days…" The grin widened. "The bombs attached to your Magic Circuits will explode."

The mad demon then leapt over her and retreated, laughing like the maddest man on Earth.

Melody fell to her knees. "Master!" Assassin's yell fell on deaf ears. He began to shake her shoulders. "Answer me, Master!"

The thought of having bombs inside her… "Gh-! BLEARH!" She couldn't keep the contents of her stomach inside. She threw up to the floor. It was a small amount, as she hadn't eaten much, and it didn't platter on either her or Assassin.

"Master!" He's been asking something over and over again. Understandably, she didn't listen to him before he raised her head. "Where's the hospital?! Where's the hospital, Master?!"


End file.
